Montjeu for Champion Stakes

13 April 2012

Montjeu was today given the go-ahead to redeem his dented reputation in Saturday's Dubai Champion Stakes at Newmarket, prompting his Coolmore Stud fellow and understudy Giant's Causeway to instead go straight for the Breeders' Cup Classic.

The top-rated horse of 1999, Mont-jeu carried all before him this year with four easy Group One wins until finishing a disappointing fourth to Sinndar nine days ago when 4-5 favourite to repeat his previous year's success in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Connections were shocked by the four-year-old colt's defeat and were anxious to hand him an opportunity of impressing once again, in the manner of his imperious King George VI and the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes victory at Ascot in July, before retiring to stud at the end of the season.

Saturday's £400,000 Group One event was initially thought to come too quickly after the Arc, but softening ground at Newmarket increased its attraction.

After working at trainer John Hammond's Chantilly base this morning, Montjeu was deemed ready to tackle the ten-furlong contest with usual pilot Mick Kinane on board.

Irish handler Aidan O'Brien had meanwhile lined up multiple Group One hero Giant's Causeway as an enviable deputy for connections Michael Tabor and Sue Magnier, wife of Coolmore boss John, at New-market, but today reacted by pinpointing America as his three-year-old colt's next assignment.

A Stateside prep-race had been mooted for the doughty colt, but O'Brien now plans to work Giant's Causeway this Friday before heading out to Kentucky's Churchill Downs for the 4 November race.

It will be his debut on dirt, but his valuable sire Storm Cat handled it and victory would greatly enhance his bloodstock worth to a US market.

O'Brien also declared Lermontov and Shoal Creek for the Champion Stakes and suggested that the former could line up as a possible pacemaker for Montjeu.

Meanwhile, this season's leading apprentice Lee Newman has a chance to make 2000 even more of a year to remember after he was handed the ride in Saturday's Tote Cesarewitch on last year's fourth, Eastwell Hall.

Newman has ridden 65 winners in turf and all-weather Flat racing since the new year and partnered the Tom McGovern-trained gelding on most starts this term, including a neck second to King Flyer at Yarmouth last time when connections deemed him unlucky.

"Lee will ride him again - he's a good jockey," confirmed McGovern. "Eastwell Hall is a better horse this year."

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